The United States and Japan will step up their defence cooperation to deal with the threat from nuclear-armed North Korea as tensions in East Asia remain high, officials from the two allies said on Thursday.

Vic abortion clinic, council in legal row

Melbourne City Council is standing by its decision to tell an abortion clinic to seek help from Victoria Police in ending a two-decade dispute with anti-abortion protesters.

In a letter responding to complaints by the Fertility Control Clinic about the protesters, the council last year advised the clinic to settle out of court and seek help from police.

But the clinic says the council should have taken steps to ban the protesters from the front of the building.

Lawyers for the clinic have told a Supreme Court hearing in Melbourne that the council failed its legal duty to protect staff and patients from the nuisance caused by protesters from the Helpers of God's Precious Infants group.

But Richard Niall QC said once the council had investigated nuisance claims and determined there was an issue they had multiple options to resolve the complaint.

He said they chose to recommend settlement rather than prosecution or prohibition notices, which are all options under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act.

Mr Niall said there was no evidence of communication between the clinic and protesters, and that if they chose to speak to them directly, police could ensure there was no breach of the peace.